This invention relates to the stringing of sports rackets, and more particularly to the installing of transverse strings after the longitudinal strings are in place. The term "sports racket" is meant to include tennis, badminton and squash rackets.
Installing sports racket strings in the usual manner involves clamping the frame in a support, and first running a thirteen foot string back and forth thru the frame holes to form the longitudinal strings. This part of the operation is quite simple since no crossing of strings is involved.
The longitudinal strings are now tight, and the transverse strings must be threaded between them in an alternating over-and-under fashion. The string material is stiff and the threading operation is difficult and time-consuming. After the front end of the string has been threaded across the width of the frame opening, the remaining length of string must be pulled thru under tension. Friction created by this pulling operation causes considerable wear on all the strings, as well as causing the transverse strings to be installed in a twisted manner. In addition, the maintenance of a constant tension across each string becomes nearly impossible.
The device of my invention might best be described as a supplementary racket stringer. It does not replace present racket stringers, or even the hand-stringer disclosed in my co-pending application Ser. No. 282,192 filed Oct. 11, 1972 and now U.S. Pat. No. 3,837,649. It simplifies the installation of the transverse strings, those which require threading through other strings already installed in a perpendicular direction.
A principal object of my invention is to provide a device to simplify the installation of sports racket strings.
Another object is the provision of a racket stringer that minimizes wear on the strings during installation.
A further object is to provide a racket stringing aid that is readily convertible for use with various longitudinal string spacings.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the description which follows and from the drawings.
In brief, the principle of my novel racket stringing aid is as follows: One end of the portable device is hooked under an already installed transverse string. This string thus stabilizes the device while the operator applies downward pressure on the handle portion. The lower edge of the device is notched out to allow an upper set of longitudinal strings to remain unaffected while a lower set of alternating longitudinal strings is deflected downward. When the top of the notches touches the upper set of strings, a slider is moved so that undercuts in the slider notches engage the upper set of strings. The operator can now release the handle pressure, and the transverse clearance between sets of strings will be maintained. He then can freely feed a new transverse string into position without bending it. A Teflon or equivalent tube can be fed thru first, and the new string pulled thru it, substantially reducing the pulling force required. The tube is removed after the entire length of string is pulled thru, and is used repeatedly for each new run across the frame. After the entire assembly is released from the racket by reversing the direction of the slider, the newly inserted string is slid into position adjacent the previously installed transverse string, and tension applied externally by a typical racket stringing device.